Sink or Swim
by Kandell
Summary: Kitty -Katara- is a lifeguard at the luxurious Azure Hills Country Club. Zane Embers is the son of the owner. What will happen when Kitty has to give him swim lessons? PLEASE REVIEW! From the author formerly known as zutarataang4eva.
1. Chapter 1

Sink or Swim

Hi, my name is Katharine Waters (my friends call me Kitty). I'm a junior at South Polk High School, my older brother Socka is a senior. We live with our Gran-Gran, because our dad is currently deployed in the South Pacific (he's in the navy). Currently, I work at Azure Hills Country Club as a lifeguard. But recently, the manager told me that the owners were coming to visit. Needless to say, I was caught off guard that he told me, seeing as how I'm just a lifeguard, but yesterday he told me to report to the owner's private pool on the basement level. I'm guessing this is a promotion or something.

Today, I got to the private pool, entered, and saw this amazingly hot guy standing on the pool deck in a pair of swim shorts.

"Uh, hi," I said. "I'm Kitty, I was told to report here."

"You're Kitty? Great," the man said. He was probably out of high school. He was tall, with black hair, pale skin, and amer eyes. Just then, the door opened and Mr. Irons (the club manager) walked in.

"Ah, Kitty, glad you found the pool. This is Zane Embers. His father owns the club. You'll be giving him swim lessons."

"Swim lessons?" I asked in disbelief. How could a guy his age not know how to swim?

"Yes. Now, I have other things to see to. I'll check back on you two in an hour."

Mr. Irons left, leaving me in silence with Zane. I began to regret wearing my two-piece guard uniform.

"Well, I guess we'll start off by getting in the water and doing some kick excercises," I said. Zane rolled his eyes, but slid into the pool. I followed.

"Okay, put your hands on the edge of the gutter and float on your stomach," I ordered.

"Yeah, that's not gonna work for me," he replied.

"Excuse me?"

"These abs are pure muscle. They don't float," he indicated his eight pack.

"Well then I'll get you a kickboard," I said with a fake smile. I climbed out of the pool and walked over to the supply closet. I pulled out a kickboard and returned.

"Lay on this."

"Oh, thanks, you're a lifesaver," he said sarcastically.

"Alright, just copy me," I put my hands on the edge of the gutter, floated on my stomach, and began kicking. Zane watched me for a moment, then rolled his eyes, layed down on the kickboard, and began kicking.

"Good," I said. I stopped kicking and watched him.

"Enjoying the view?" he asked.

"What?" I said.

"You heard me," he replied. I rolled my eyes, understanding that the next hour was going to go by VERY slowly.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

After Zane had praticed kicking a while, I decided it was time for him to practice strokes.

"Alright, this time, do the same thing except your feet will be on the edge of the gutter and you'll be doing a freestyle stroke with your arms."

"Freestyle? You mean like dancing?" he looked at me.

"No, freestyle is arm after arm, like this," I showed him an example. After a few strokes, I stopped swimming and turned back to him. "Your turn." He rolled his eyes and did as I had instructed.

"Could I ask you a question?" I asked.

"Depends on what it is," he answered.

"You're obviously older than I am. So why are you taking swimming lessons now?"

"I don't like water. But my uncle thought it would be good for me to learn how to swim because I'm leaving for the navy soon."

"Your uncle?"

"Mr. Irons."

"The club manager? Really? Hm. So why are you joining the navy?"

"Shouldn't you be teaching me how to swim?" he said, slightly glaring at me.

" Yeah," I said. "Well, it looks like you have strokes down. Why don't you try it all together?"

Zane stood up, the water reaching just above his waist. His chest and abdomen were wet, slightly glimmering in the light- whoa! What the heck? I shouldn't be talking about him like that! His father owns the club, and I could get fired. But there's nothing wrong with making observations, is there? Anyway, he began swimming, but quickly started sinking. I lunged forward and grabbed him, holding him above water.

"You know, the water's only four feet deep. I can stand just fine," he said, looking down at me.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry, just a habit. I usually teach young kids, and-"

"Yeah, cuz that makes me feel so much better," he said. Wow, this guy was sarcastic. Anyway, I released him, and took a few steps back.

"Why don't you try it again, but this time, try stroking faster," I suggested. Zane huffed, but did as I said anyway. This time, he actually swam the entire width of the pool.

"Good job!" I said, slipping back into the kid-teaching mentality. "Now, I'm going to teach you breaststroke." As soon as I said that, I felt akward. Zane was looking at me with this strange look. I couldn't quite decihper it, but it was slightly unnerving. Then, with perfect timing, the pool door opened and three girls in bikinis waltzed in. I recognized the one at the front of the group almost immediately. She looked a lot like Zane. That meant she was Azure Embers. The girls accompanying her were about the same height and build as her, except the one on the right was a bit curvyer.

"Hey Zu-zu," Azure said. Zane didn't respond with words, just a glare.

"Taylor, I think we walked in on something private," Azure turned to the curvy one. Taylor giggled.

"Well, this is akward. What do you think, May?" Taylor asked, giggling.

"Whatever," May said. She was pale and thin, with long black hair and dark eyes. She looked a lot like a vampire.

"What are you doing here?" Zane asked.

"I heard you were here, and thought I'd visit you. I haven't seen you in a long time, you know," Azure responded. Something about her voice creeped me out. It was low and smooth. Too smooth.

"So tell me, Zu-zu. Who's this?" she continued.

"I'm Kitty, I'm a lifeguard here," I introduced myself.

"Interesting," she replied. "Well, I think we've distracted you long enough. Carry on. Girls," Azure snapped as she turned, and the three left, leaving Zane and me alone once again.

"Well, they seemed nice," I said, not sure what to say. I mean, I couldn't exactly say 'Your sister is a creeper,' could I?

"You're obviously blind, deaf, and really dumb," Zane replied. I frowned.

"Back to your lesson," I started, "copy what I do." I began swimming across the pool using breaststroke. I turned and swam back. "Your turn."

"I think one stroke is sufficient," Zane said.

"It's my job to teach you how to swim, and I would be neglecting my responsibilities if I didn't teach you what I teach my other students."

"I need a drink," Zane


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Zane climbed out of the pool and walked over to a small bar in the corner.

"You want anything to drink?" he asked.

"Um, water, I guess," I replied.

Zane poured a glass of water for me, and a drink for him, and brought both beverages to the edge of the pool.

"That's not alcohol, is it?" I asked, looking at his martini glass.

"Does it really matter?"

"It does if you're underage."

"Well, mother, what age would that be?" he said in a mocking tone. I glared and drank my water. We each finished our drinks, and Zane slid back into the pool.

"Alright, why don't you try the gutter excercises for breaststroke?" I suggested.

"Fine," he said, grabbing the kickboard.

An hour later, I had managed to teach Zane freestyle, breaststroke, and backstroke. I was feeling quite proud of myself, considering how difficult he had been.

"Well, I think that's about all you need to know," I said.

"Works for me."

The door opened and Mr. Irons walked in.

"I assume everything went well?" he asked.

"Splendid," I said, climbing out of the pool. I felt Zane watching me. Creeper.

"I'd like to thank you, Kitty. I bet tomorrow will be even more productive."

"Tomorrow?" Zane and I asked in unison.

"Well of course. If you're going to join the navy, you'd better be a very good swimmer," Mr. Irons said.

"I'll be on a boat, not in the water," Zane narrowed his eyes.

"Nevertheless, I want you to be as prepared as you can be," Mr. Irons smiled. With that, he left.

"Hey, I've got a question," I turned to Zane, "If Mr. Irons is your uncle, why doesn't he have the same last name as you?"

"Because my father changed his last name. He didn't really like the thought of being associated with my uncle."

"Then why is he running the club?"

"To look after me. Besides, my father's too busy to look after such trivial matters," Zane grabbed a towel from a rack on the wall. He threw one at me, right when I wasn't looking, so it hit me in the face.

"Gee, thanks," I said sarcastically. I threw it back at him, "I have my own towel."

"Whatever," he began to leave the pool room. Man he had a nice body. Hold on! Don't think like that! You're not that kind of girl, Kitty! You go to church, you do bible study, you don't use language…but oh, that body…

Moving on, I followed him out of the pool room. I mean, it would be akward to be in there alone. It's not like it's open to the public or anything. We parted ways when I turned to go to the staff locker room. I could've sworn he watched me, but it doesn't really matter. I dried off, changed, and went home.

When I arrived at my house, my brother, Socka, pulled into the driveway. Now, before you go thinking that he's got a weird name and my parents must have been drunk when they named him, it's actually a nickname. See, he plays soccer. He's actually really good at it. But in one of the games he played, this guy on the other team kept trash-talking him. Now, my brother has a bit of a temper. But, rather than get disqualified for hitting the guy, he waited for a time-out, took off his sock, put a rock in it, and launched it at the guy's head. Needless to say, his method worked. Ever since then, people have called him Socka.

"Hey, Kitty," Socka said, stepping out of his SUV.

"Hi," I replied. I saw Suki, his girlfriend, getting out of the passenger seat.

"Hi," she greeted me. I waved and smiled.

"How was the golf?"

"Flipping awesome!" Socka exclaimed. "You know the giant mushroom on hole 18? Well, guess who made a giant mushy friend?"

"Beats me," I said, before bounding up the stairs to our house and going inside. I went straight up to my room to check my emails. I checked and replied, then went to bed. Good thing it was summer and I didn't have homework.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I woke up the next morning to my alarm clock. I hit the off button and rolled out of bed. Walking down the hall, I saw Socka wrapped up in blankets, still asleep. He'd probably be that way until after noon. I Went downstairs to the kitchen, opened the fridge, and grabbed a yogurt.

"Hey, Kitty," my Gran-Gran began, "Mr. Irons called. You're not working at the club today. He said you'd be working at a private pool. A car's going to pick you up at 9."

"But that's in five minutes! I don't even have my guard suit!" I ran up to my room to see if I could find an extra one-piece. I practically tore my room apart getting all of my things together. I didn't even stop to think about the fact that I'd be working at a different pool. I managed to locate a towel, sunscreen, flipflops, short-shorts, and a bikini. This wasn't gonna work. As I fretted over my predicament, the doorbell rang. I hauled all of my stuff downstairs, ready to face Mr. Irons. My Gran-Gran lead him in to the house, and I stopped at the bottom of the stairs.

"Um, Mr. Irons, I don't have my guard suits," I said.

"Well, do you have a swimsuit?" he asked.

"Uh, only a bikini."

"That will do. This way," he said, guesturing for me to go outside. I picked up my poolbag and left. We climbed into separate cars. Him into a black sedan, and I was ushered to a black limousine.

"Um, this really isn't necessary," I said. "I'd be fine in a regular car." The driver didn't respond to my statement, but told me I could help myself to drinks, snacks, and the Playstation. I was a little surprised to say the least. I mean, how often is someone driven to work in a limo? Anyway, we drove for what seemed like forever. I merely sat in the back and twiddled my thumbs, replaying the morning's events so far. None of this really made sense. Finally, we pulled into a long driveway, which led to the biggest house I'd ever seen. It was at least as big as the country club, if not bigger. The limo pulled to a stop, and the driver opened my door.

"Thanks," I said, climbing out. I grabbed my pool bag and slowly walked up to the front door of the mansion, following the driver. He opened the door and lead me inside. The place was massive, with marble floors, solid wood doors, it looked like a genuine castle.

"This way," the man said, leading me through the house to the back door. He led me out onto a patio, which had a stone path leading to a pool deck, with a very large, very beautiful pool in the ground. Then I realized what was going on.

There, on a lounge chair, layed Zane. He sipped a drink from a martini glass, not even looking over at me. He was wearing red swim shorts and dark sunglasses. I walked over to him, and then he looked at me.

"I got dragged out of bed for this?" I said, with an obvious attitude.

"Hey, you're getting paid," he replied. "Shouldn't you be in a swimsuit?"

"Is there a place I can change?" I asked.

"Pool house," he pointed. "It's unlocked."

I changed quickly, and was back out on the pool deck, ready to get the lesson overwith.

"My," Zane said, looking me over, "maybe I should pay you extra." He smirked at me. Creeper.

"Get in the pool," I ordered. Zane stepped into the shallow end, walking slowly down the steps. I followed him.

"So, what am I learning today?" he asked in sarcastic excitement.

"You're learning how to hold your breath."

"What?" he said, all smiles gone.

"You heard me. An important part of swimming is being able to swim under water."

"I don't swim under water."

"Not yet. Come on, I have first graders who can hold their breath for half a minute." Okay, maybe that wasn't completely true. But hey, it's not like he'd know any better.

"I really don't swim under water," he said again.

"There's always a first time for everything. Now, take a breath," I said. He looked at me curiously. Right before I pushed him under water. Zane spluttered, struggling to get back to the surface. Then, he realized we were still in the shallow end, and he stood up, leaving me laying across his left shoulder. Akward! He grabbed me around the waist and tossed me carelessly into the deep end of the pool. I screamed a little while I was in midair, then submerged, and resurfaced quickly.

"NEVER do that again!" Zane yelled.

"Hey, if you don't learn to go underwater, you'll never be able to hold your breath!"

"That doesn't mean you have to drown me!"

"I'd never let you get hurt!" I yelled. His faced changed suddenly, with a weird expression I couldn't understand.

"I'm getting a drink," he climbed out of the pool.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Zane climbed out of the pool and went over to a small tiki-hut style bar. He pulled out a glass bottle and drank half the thing. I watched, not sure of what to do. I mean, he was drinking alcohol right in front of me. It was kind of weird. I'm not the kind of girl to partake in illegal activities. When Zane was finished drinking, he returned to the side of the pool and sat with his legs in the water.

"Are you going to join me?" I asked.

"Fine," he sighed. He slipped into the water and stood staring at me.

"Alright, is there anything specific you want to learn?" I could see Zane thinking for a moment. Something flashed in his eyes for a split second, then vanished. I dismissed it.

"How about you teach me to dive?" he asked, nodding toward the diving board at the deep end of the pool.

"Uh, I guess. But you don't know how to hold your breath yet. Or how to swim underwater."

"Hey, you tried to drown me. I'd say you owe me," he smirked.

"Fine. Let's go," I said, climbing out of the pool. I walked over to the diving board, leaving a trail of wet footprints. Zane followed me. When I reached the board, I turned to him.

"What kind of dive do you want to learn? There are normal, pencil, tucks, pikes, flips-"

"How 'bout a flip?" he asked. This guy obviously liked a challenge.

"Very well then," I climbed up the small ladder and walked to the end of the board. I bounced a little to get the feel of the it, then felt eyes watching me. I turned my head to see Zane staring not at my back, but a little bit lower. Creeper. I jumped, catapulting myself into the air, tucked my legs in, and leaned forward. I completed two rotations and plunged headfirst into the water. Once I was submerged, I arched my back and kicked a little, propelling myself back to the surface. I brushed my hair back away from my face and swam to the edge of the pool.

"Well?" I asked.

"Impressive," Zane replied. I smirked, proud of my accomplishment. That all faded when Zane made his way to the end of the board, jumped once, did a triple rotation, and dove in head first. When he surfaced, I was sitting right on the edge of the pool where he was. He looked at my knees, then his eyes traveled upward to my face.

"You knew how to swim all along," I said.

"No."

"Don't bother lying. I should've realized it earlier. You're one of those blue blood boys who think you're so much better than anyone else, and you figured it would be fun to waste my time. Well, you've had 

your fun, and now I'm going home," as I finished, I stood up and turned to leave. I grabbed my pool bag and wogged off (not improper spelling, it's a cross between walking and jogging). I was halfway to the house when Zane caught up with me.

"Wait," he grabbed my arm and turned me around. I responded by slapping him square in the face.

"Why'd you do that?" he yelled.

"Same reason I did this," I said. He was halfway through saying "what?" when I kneed him in th groin. He groaned and fell to the ground, clutching himself in pain. I whirled around and sauntered to the house. I walked in, to the front door, and out. And realized that the limo was gone. I bit my lip, feeling a bit uncomfortable. I turned around and went back into the house, looking for the man who'd driven me here. I looked for several minutes, not finding a single person. I arrived back in the living room to see Zane, still in his swim shorts, still looking like he was in pain. Crap. He glared at me a little.

"That was uncalled for," he said.

"Well, so was grabbing me. And throwing me in the deep end. And wasting my time with swim lessons you didn't even need."

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe I'm a fast learner?"

"People don't learn to do triple rotations by watching someone do a double once," I glared. "Where's the car?"

"What?"

"The car that drove me here. I'm ready to go home."

"It's Harry's day off. He only picked you up as a favor."

"Then how am I supposed to get home?" I asked. I looked at the clock. "Dang it!"

"Who says dang it anymore?" he asked, looking at me funny.

"I'm gonna miss the concert," I said, ignoring him.

"What concert?"

"The Jet concert. You know, Jet Rebel. The hottest male singer in existence," I said, giving him an 'are you kidding me?' look.

"Well, if you want, you can watch it here. I've got like twenty TV's," Zane said.

"Really? You, you don't mind?"

"Not at all. What channel is it on?" he asked, picking up the remote off of a nearby endtable.

"145," I said, reaching into my pool bag. I pulled out a towel and wrapped it around myself. "Is it okay if I sit?"

"Yeah, sure," Zane flopped down on the leather couch, still in his wet swim shorts.

"Um, your shorts are gonna ruin the leather."

"Huh? Doesn't matter. I'll just get a new couch." Before I could reply, the concert started. There were flashy lights, smoke on the stage, and band members rocking out. Then, a trap door opened and Jet Rebel came up out of the floor. Girls were shrieking, music was blaring, and he began to sing.

_Hey I've been watching you,_

_Every little thing you do,_

_Every time I see you dance in my homeroom class makes my heart beat fast,_

_I tried to page you twice,_

_But I see you roll your eyes,_

_Wish I could make you feel that I'm into you it ain't no big deal,_

_Cuz I know you really want me,_

_I hear your friends talk about me,_

_So whatcha tryin' to do without me?_

_Well you got me, where you want me,_

_(Hey Juliet)_

_I think, you're fine,_

_You really blow my mind,_

_Maybe, someday,_

_You and me can run away,_

_I just want you to know,_

_I wanna be your Romeo,_

_Hey Juliet,_

_Hey Juliet!_

Jet stopped singing and the music continued.

"You like this stuff?" Zane asked.

"Duh. He's such a hunkmuffin," I said dreamily.

"Hunkmuffin? Where the hell did you get 'hunkmuffin'?"

"I heard it somewhere," I said, my eyes still glued to the TV screen.

"Teenage girls," Zane huffed.

The song continued, the concert continued, and the whole thing was over an hour and a half later. It was now after noon.

"Hey, I've got a question," Zane began. "Why was the concert so early?"

"Jet was performing live in Asia. He's so foreign." I awed.

"Right. You hungry?"

"Huh? I guess. A little peckish, yeah."

"Peckish? What the hell is peckish?" he looked at me funny.

"It means pleasantly hungry." Zane stared at me. I looked away, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

"So, do you want to get some lunch?" he asked finally.

"Uh, sure. Where do you want to go?"

"I don't know. I'm not a picky eater. How about Olive Garden?"

"Um, okay. Just let me change. Wait, I only brought pajama-ish clothes."

"'Pajama-ish'? God, you use the weirdest words. You can probably borrow some of my sister's clothes. They might be a little big on you, though," he said. "I'll show you to her room." Zane led me up the stairs and down a few hallways. He opened a door and ushered me inside. I looked in Azure's closet and looked back at Zane.

"This is all designer stuff."

"Yeah, your point?"

"Is it really okay if I borrow these?" I asked.

"Yeah. She doesn't even use this stuff. It's 'last month's fashions!'" he imitated his sister.

"Okay then." I selected a pair of jeans, artistically ripped, and a red halter top. I changed, then presented myself to Zane.

"Is this okay?" I asked.

"Fine," he said. He sounded almost breathless. What a weird guy. We left the bedroom wing of the house and went to the garage. Zane opened the large metal door, revealing a black ferarri.

"That's your car?" I asked in disbelief.

"Yeah. Hop in."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Let's go," Zane said, walking to the passenger side and opening the door for me. I walked forward and sat down in the passenger's seat. Was I really about to go to Olive Garden in a ferrarri? It seemed a little too good to be true. Nevertheless, Zane climbed into the driver's seat and started the engine. He opened the garage door as I buckled my seatbelt.

"Aren't you going to buckle up?" I asked.

"No," he replied, pulling out of the driveway.

"You do know you could die if you get in an accident."

"I could die even _with _the seatbelt. Besides, why are you so concerned about my safety? You weren't when you tried to drown me," he turned to meet my eyes. I looked away quickly. His eyes were really gorgeous. They were hazel, almost golden, and they just sort of…gleamed. I don't know, maybe that's not a good thing, but I thought his eyes were beautiful. Zane drove away from the mansion, down the long driveway, and began driving toward town.

"Um, don't you think you should slow down? If you get caught speeding-"

"I'll pay the ticket. It's not really that big of a deal."

"Yeah," I began, "but you could lose control of the car and crash into something…or someone…"

"You worry too much. Just relax," he told me. How could I relax when we were going 90 miles an hour in a screaming metal death trap? Well, okay, I guess it wasn't 90 miles an hour, but it felt like it.

Within five minutes (due to Zane's speeding), we arrived at the Olive Garden. I smoothed my hair as soon as we parked, and Zane hopped out of the car and over to my side. He opened the door just as I reached for the handle.

"Oh, thanks," I mumbled. No guy had ever been this gentlemanly toward me. I followed Zane inside, and Zane told the hostess to get a table for two. She was a young girl, and was practically saying 'take me now' to Zane with her eyes. The way she batted her eyelashes made me want to hit her….because it's degrading to women, not because I was jealous or anything….moving on with the story, we got to our table and looked at the menus. The waiter came over to take our orders when Zane spoke up.

"I'll have the Chicken Alfredo and she'll have the Shrimp Scampi." How'd he know that was what I wanted? Kinda weird.

"And for your drinks?" the waiter asked.

"Coke," I said. "And he'll have Sprite," I smirked over at Zane. He should've known better than to order for me. True, he ordered what I wanted, but I had to get him back anyway. The waiter left.

"How'd you know I like Sprite?" Zane asked.

"Uh, I didn't. I just said that because you ordered for me," I said, blushing slightly. It did seem kind of juvenile.

"Hm. Well, I figured you'd like the Scampi. It's one of my favorites, and practically everyone I know likes it."

"Is that so?" I asked, smiling a little bit. Then, the door to the restaurant opened and we heard a voice say "table for three. Hurry it up!" Zane's face paled slightly.

"Azure," he said quietly. He picked up a menu, opened it to block our faces, and leaned toward me.

"If my sister finds us, we're dead," he whispered.

"Why? It's just lunch."

"It's not Azure I'm worried about, it's-"

"Well well, isn't this interesting," May, Azure's gloomy friend, had snatched the menu out of Zane's hand, revealing us.

"Uh, hi, May," Zane said. "How're you?"

"Oh, just peachy now that I've found my ex-boyriend on a date with an employee!" she said, slightly loud.

"It's not a date, it's just-"

"Are those my clothes?" Azure cut in. I looked to Zane, my eyes wide in terror.

"Oh, this is just too good. I love drama!" Taylor giggled.

"I can't believe you'd do this, Zane. This is where we had our first date!" May yelled.

"It is?" Zane looked puzzled.

"Oh, you're so insensitive!" May screamed. She picked up a plate of ravioli from a passing waiter and chucked it at Zane's head. He ducked out of the way, and the pasta hit a woman sitting at the table behind him. The woman screeched, and May paled (if that's even possible). The ravioli woman shot out of her chair, knocking a waiter carrying a tray onto a cart loaded with desserts. Cakes and pies went everywhere, hitting innocent bystanders. A cheesecake flew straight into Azure's face. She screamed, picked up a bowl of salad, and threw it at me. I dove out of the way, letting the salad fly onto a man walking to his table. He was caught off guard, and threw his arms up in defence, causing his date to stumble over him onto a family's table. I looked up, watching the chain reaction. Let's just say it ended with a chocolate fountain being dumped all over me.

Zane grabbed my wrist and bolted out of the restaurant. We dashed to his car and climbed inside. He started the engine and drove us back to his house.

"Sorry about that," he said. We were in the kitchen of his mansion, and he was handing me a towel. As I took it, I noticed something flash through his eyes. I wondered what it was. I wiped off most of the chocolate, licking my fingers. Hey, it's chocolate, I'm a girl, do the math. Anyway, I looked up at Zane.

"You know, I actually had a really good time. I don't think the Olive Garden's ever been that exciting," I laughed. Some chocolate ran down my face onto my lips. The next thing I knew, Zane was kissing me.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

As soon as I realized what was going on, I pushed Zane away and slapped him.

"What was that for?" he asked.

"You kissed me. What was I supposed to do?"

"You could've kissed me back." He licked his lips. "You taste like chocolate," he smirked at me.

"Oh, I wonder why," I glared at him. "Why did you kiss me?"

"It seemed like a good idea," he shrugged.

"A good idea? That's not very romantic."

"Well, I could try again," he took a small step forward. He was really close. I could smell his cologne. It smelled really really good. Whoa, get a hold of yourself, Kitty!

"Um," I began. My words were cut off by Zane once more, kissing me full on the lips. Let's just say it was nice. It wasn't anything like french kissing, but it was pretty hot. It felt like it was more than a kiss, like he was telling me something. Then a thought occurred to me. Did he even know my name? I broke the kiss, still standing really close to him.

"Say my name," I said. He leaned down to my ear.

"Anything special you want me to say, Kitty?" he whispered. I got chills when he said my name. It sounded so different from the way everyone else said it. It sounded sexy. Zane leaned down slightly and kissed my neck. I pushed him away. That's a little too intimate for me.

"How 'bout we not," I suggested.

"Alright," Zane said. He looked at the clock and noticed that it was 2pm. "When do you need to be home?"

"Uh, I don't know. I was supposed to work all day, but I guess things got a little screwed up," I said.

"Yeah. Well, we could always continue with my swimming lessons," Zane peered down on me.

"Will you behave yourself?"

"I might be a little naughty," he smirked. Wow he had a sexy smirk. And those eyes! Ooh, I was practically melting! But how could I help it? It's not like I had a boyfriend or anything. What was the harm in me flirting a little bit? Then again, we're all alone in his house, where he pretty much has all the power. Plus, if Socka ever heard about anything happening- and I mean ANYTHING- I'd get in SO much trouble.

"Actually, I think I should probably get home. Hang on, what time is it?"

"Two o'clock. Why?"

"Oh my god I'm gonna miss the announcement! Can I use your TV?"

"Uh, sure. Why?"

"I wanna see the announcement. See, my friends and I sent in cards to be put in a drawing. Whoever wins gets a date with Jet Rebel. I bet it's gonna be Tori. She's so lucky," I turned the TV on and sat down. It was still on the right channel from the concert we had watched earlier.

The show began with flashing special effects and dramatic music. A girl walked onto the stage with a microphone and greeted the audience. Then she announced that Jet himself would pick the winning card. Jet joined her and a large box was brought over. He reached in, dug around for a while, then pulled out a card.

"Kitty Waters," he read. I screamed and flew out of my chair. I was jumping around like a giddy school girl.

"I WON I WON I WON I WON I WON!! I can't believe this! I never win anything!! How awesome is this?" I bounced over to Zane, who remained sitting. "Why aren't you happy?"

"Oh, I'm ecstatic that you're going on a date with some famous guy that you don't even know. It's simply spectacular," he muttered.

"Why are you being like this?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe I thought our kiss meant something. My mistake!" he stood up and walked toward the garage. "I'll take you home now." I followed him to his car, grabbing my poolbag on the way.

"Zane, don't be like this. I'm sorry. I thought it was just a kiss."

"So you're telling me that you didn't feel anything?" he turned to me.

"I-I-I don't know, I've never kissed a guy before!"

"Well I'm glad you got some practice in. Jet'll be thrilled," he continued to his car, got in, and started the engine. I joined him, not saying a word.

Zane drove me home in silence. He didn't even look at me. When he pulled up in front of my driveway, I practically ran out. I bolted into my house, shut the door, and slid down to the floor. What had I done? Why was he so mad? What did he even mean? Why did this have to happen to me?


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

I was sitting with my back against my front door when Tori came running toward me from my living room.

"OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD!! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU WON!!" she leaped on me, flattening me even more against the door.

"Ugh, thanks, Tori," I said, recovering from her knocking the wind out of me. Tori kneeled in front of me.

"What are you gonna wear? He's getting into town tomorrow night, and you have to wear something amazing!" she said.

"I was thinking just nice jeans and a cute top," I said, starting to stand up.

"Are you kidding me? You're going on a date with a rockstar! You have to look out of this world!!"

"Then how 'bout I wear antennae?" I joked. She looked at me with a serious look.

"Kitty, you're not just going on this date for you. You're going for you, me, and all the other girls who are crazy in love with Jet Rebel. You can _not_ let us down!"

"Alright then, let's go to my room and pick an outfit," I said. We ran up the stairs and to me bedroom, I opened the door to my walk-in closet while Tori flopped down onto my bed to critique my choices.

I perused the selection. I noticed how normal my clothes were. Did I even have anything awesome enough for this date? I grabbed two hangers and walked to the doorway where Tori could see me.

"How about dressy jeans with my dark blue halter?"

"Hm. Sounds okay. But you definitely need to accessorize. Ooh! Your mom's necklace! The one she gave you! It'll match perfectly," Tori walked toward my dresser. "And how about accessorizing your jeans? You know, like those hundred dollar jeans at designer stores. Ooh, you could use this!" She held up a blue necklace with four strands of silver chains with blue stones and beads.

"How would I do that?" I asked.

"Like this," she walked over to me and looped the clasps of the necklace around the beltloops of the jeans on the hanger.

"Tori, you're a genius!"

"I know."

We spent the whole night planning my outfit, hair and makeup. Tori ended up sleeping over, and we stayed up late fantasizing about my date tomorrow. When we finally fell asleep, I dreamt about what would happen. But when I woke up, I couldn't remember anything about my dream. Oh well, I was about to live the real thing!

At five o'clock, a limo pulled up in front of my house. The back door opened and out stepped Jet Rebel. He was wearing dark denim jeans, a black t-shirt, and a black leather jacket. He was also wearing a silver cross necklace, nice sneakers, and black aviator sunglasses. He played the part of rockstar perfectly. I watched from my bedroom window as he walked up to the front door, where he was blocked by the canopy of the porch. The doorbell rang, and I practically ran down the stairs. Socka got to the door while I was halfway down. He opened the door and stared at Jet.

"Who're you?" he asked, his mouth full of the sandwich which he held in his hand.

"Uh, Jet Rebel. I'm here to pick up Kitty." I walked down the rest of the way, calm and collected, and walked to the door.

"Hi, I'm Kitty Waters," I introduced myself. Jet looked me over and smirked slightly. What was it with guys and smirking at me? Anyway, he gestured for me to leave the house, and led me to the limo. We climbed in and sat down.

"So, where are we going?" I asked.

"First we're going to a movie. We have a private theater at our disposal, so you can choose the movie. After that, we're going to dinner at Le Soir," he said to me.

"Sounds good," I said.

"So tell me, pretty Kitty, what movie would you like to see?"

"I'm sort of in the mood for an action movie," I said to him.

"Then it's decided. We'll see Vengeance. It's the only action movie out right now." I smiled. We arrived at the theater, and were escorted into our own room. We sat down, and people brought us concessions. The lights went down and the movie started, completely skipping the previews. I settled in for some good fight scenes. But that didn't last long. About ten minutes into the movie, I felt Jet's hand on my thigh. I tried to ignore it, but then the armrest between us went up, and he leaned in. He started kissing me, and I was a little too shocked to react. Before I knew it, he had me laying down and was in total makeout mode. I tried pushing him off, but he obviously worked out. 'Course I knew that, considering I'd read every interview he'd ever done. I turned away, pushing him back.

"Stop it," I said.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because I said so. Now get off!" I pushed him again.

"Make me," he said.

"How 'bout I do." I looked up to see Zane standing over us. When Jet turned to look, Zane grabbed him by the shirt and threw him over a few rows of chairs. I sat up, watching.

"Are you alright?" Zane asked, turning back to me.

"Yeah, thanks," I said. "How'd you know where we were?"

"It's amazing the kind of information you can buy," he said. "Let's go." He led me out of the theater, Jet watching as we left. I turned back, glaring at the stupid rockstar. I stuck my tongue out at him. Immature, I know, but I felt like doing it.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"Zane, how can I ever thank you?" I said as I followed him out of the theater.

"Just promise me you'll never go on a date with him again."

"Don't have to ask me twice," I said.

"One more thing," Zane turned to me in the middle of the plaza. "Would you…would you…never mind," he turned away.

"What? What do you want me to do? Wash your car? Iron your socks?" I asked. He had really piqued my interest.

"No. Forget I said anything," he continued leading me to his car.

"Hey jackass, get away from my girl!" Jet's voice thundered toward us. Zane and I turned to see Jet stalking in our direction.

"She's not your girl," Zane stepped in front of me.

"Well she sure as hell ain't yours," Jet said. His voice was low and menacing.

"And how would you know that?" I asked. I don't know why I said it. I guess I had to say something, and I wanted to set Jet back a step.

"Shut up," Jet ordered me. I was taken aback. Who says that to a girl they're trying to seduce?

"Listen, buddy," I said, stepping out from behind Zane, "I don't care who you think you are, you sure as hell aren't getting anything from me!"

Zane grasped my upper arm firmly yet gently and pulled me back.

"We're leaving now," he said, more to Jet than to me. We turned, and Jet threw a punch at Zane's head. With lightning-quick reflexes, Zane blocked and had Jet on his back.

"Try that again, and you won't get off so easy," he threatened. Jet glared, but didn't say anything. Zane stood and led me the rest of the way to his car, where he opened the door for me to get in. He climbed into the driver's seat and started the engine. The vehicle pulled away from the theater parking lot, and soon we were heading toward my house. We had to drive through a country-ish area, and the road was empty.

"STOP!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. Zane slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to a violent stop.

"What? What happened?" he asked, a hint of what might have been panic in his voice.

"Now you can tell me what you were going to have me do to thank you."

"I told you, forget it."

"I can't do that, Zane."

"Say that again."

"Huh?"

"My name. Say it again," he looked at me. His amber-ish eyes were glossed over with an emotion I'd never seen before. He leaned toward me slowly until his mouth was next to my ear. "Say my name one more time.

"Zane," I whispered. I pulled back slightly, turned, and kissed his lips. The kiss deepened, and Zane brushed my cheek with his thumb, trailing his hand down to my neck. He pulled me forward slightly. Suddenly, he pulled back.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"Don't be," I breathed. That kiss was better than the one we had shared in his kitchen. It was also the best kiss I'd ever had. I turned to Zane, "Do you want to go bowling?"

"Bowling? That's rather off-topic," he said. "But sure, let's go." He put the car into drive and we went to the bowling alley. We entered, got our shoes, and got a lane.

"I hope you don't mind, I'm really bad at bowling," I said.

"I'm not that great, either," he said. He rolled the ball down the lane, and knocked all of the pins down.

"Not that great, huh?" I smirked. Zane shrugged. I rolled my ball down, and it proceeded into the gutter. I threw up my hands in an 'I-told-you-so' manner.

"How 'bout I help you?" Zane suggested. He walked up behind me, lining his body against mine. He reached his right hand down my arm, grasping my wrist, with the other hand resting on my waist.

"Throw it like this," he showed me. "You got it?"

"I think so," I nodded. I tried it, but slipped on the floor with the trackless shoes. Zane rushed forward and grabbed me around the waist. But I was already too far gone. We both toppled over onto the floor, him on top of me. Our faces were mere centimeters away.

"Um," I said quietly. I could feel myself blushing. Could he see? I hoped not. I looked into his eyes, which were once again glossed over. "Why do you look at me like that?" I asked.

"Like what?"

"The way you're looking at me. It's different from the way other guys look at me."

"Maybe it's because I don't see you the same way," Zane whispered.

"Well, I like it," I leaned up and kissed him lightly on the lips.

"Excuse me," a voice said from above us. "No PDA. This is a family-friendly establishment." It was the manager.

"Sorry," I said. Zane rolled off of me, and we stood up. We finished our game, with occaisional glimpses which said more than we could. When our game was over, Zane drove me home, and left.

"How was your date?" Socka asked, not even looking at me as I entered.

"Amazing," I whispered. I stood at the door for a moment, then bolted up to my room to message my friends.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

I flopped down on my bed and closed my eyes. I had just had the best date of my entire life! I had never imagined that Zane could be so…perfect! I couldn't wait until I saw him next! But wait, wasn't he leaving for the Navy? I bolted up, my eyes wide with realization.

"I've got to stop him," I said. "But how? He's probably registered. You can't just take that back." I flopped back down, defeated.

"No. I won't give up this easily!" I practically yelled, catapulting myself off of my bed, out of my room, and flying down the stairs.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?" Gran-gran asked.

"I've got to find out if he's registered!" I yelled as I left. I went running down the street. Luckily there was a recruiting building about a mile away. Wait, why didn't I just drive? Oh well, I guess hindsight is 20/20. Anyway, I sprinted all the way there. In just under six minutes. But hey, I was on a mission! I flew into the building, sweating and out of breath.

"I need to know," I paused to breath, "if Zane Embers is registered for the Navy."

"Uh, ma'am, this is the Marines building. The Navy building is three doors down," I uniformed man behind a desk told me. Without saying a word, I ran out of the building and down to the Navy door. I entered and re-enacted my previous performance.

"We aren't allowed to give out that information," the man said.

"Please, this is really important!" I begged.

"I'm not allowed. Besides, if he is, he's leaving first thing in the morning," the man said, determined not to let me know.

"Listen," I leaned over the desk, grabbing the soldier by the collar, "you'll tell me or you'll hurt!" I threatened. He actually paled. Maybe it was the desperate tone. Maybe it was my frizzy hair, bugged eyes, and bared teeth.

"Okay, okay, what's his name?" the man asked. I released him.

"Zane. Zane Embers."

The man typed a bit on a computer, then read a list.

"Yeah, he's leaving…oh, he's leaving in thirty minutes," he said.

"WHAT?! What airport?!"

"Polk International. Why do you need to know?"

"Where are your keys?"

"What?"

"You heard me. Where are your keys?" I repeated.

"Ma'am, I'm afraid I can't-" my glare cut him off. "Here," he handed them over. I left the building, located his jeep, and left. I peeled out of the parking lot, squealing the tires. I was driving faster than Zane ever had, but this was important. What should've taken me thirty-five minutes took me fifteen. I didn't even bother parking. I just ran into the airport. I sprinted to the gate where he would be. I saw him about to board the plane.

"ZANE!!" I screamed, kicking it into high-gear. I was running faster than I ever had. I got within five feet of him, and leapt, tackling him to the ground in front of all the other recruits. I kissed him square on the lips, almost territorially.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he asked, catching the breath I had knocked out of him.

"I can't let you leave. Not without telling you…I love you, Zane Embers. I always have. I just didn't know it until now."

Zane studied me for a moment. Neither of us realized it, but everyone was watching us. Then, Zane smiled. His eyes- those glorious, beautiful, expressive eyes- did too. He kissed me, wrapping his arms around my waist. We didn't care that we were still on the floor. Our kissing was interrupted by heavy leather boots coming to a stop beside our heads. We looked up into the eyes of Zane's commanding officer.

"What the hell is going on?" he demanded. I stood up off of Zane.

"Sir, I'm in love with this man, and I had to let him know before he left," I said, my voice somewhere between confident and intimidated. Zane got to his feet and the general (I think that's what he was) studied us for a moment.

"You know, a simple phone call would've done the trick," he said.

"Yeah, but it wouldn't have the same effect," I said sheepishly, grinning at Zane. The general chuckled a little bit.

"Well, like it or not, he has to leave now," he said. I looked at the floor, definitely defeated. "But looking at him, he looks too scrawny to be in the Navy. I don't think he should join." I looked back to the general, confused.

"Son," he addressed Zane, "I think after your twelve week basic, you should just go home."

"Thank you!!" I screamed, jumping to hug the general. Some of the other recruits chuckled, but were silenced by a glare from their superior.

"Just make sure you write to him," he said to me. "Alright boys, let's go," the general led the recruits onto the plane. Zane hung back a little bit.

"I'm gonna miss you," I said, tears beginning to stream from my eyes. Zane brushed them away gently.

"I'll write to you everyday. I'll be back in no time."

"I love you, Zane," I stood on tip toe and kissed his cheek, hugging him.

"And I love you, Kitty," he kissed me back. "Wait for me." I know, a cliché thing to say, but it was a cliché moment.

"I'd wait forever for you," I said. He kissed me again, then left. I watched as he walked down the hallway to the plane that would take him away. Tears were streaming down my face, blurring everything except for him. I smiled as he waved to me, and waved back. I watched as the plane took off.

"I love you, Zane," I whispered to the sky.

Well, that's the end…for now…I might do a sequel, if I get enough requests/interest. Let me know what you think!!


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